Gel packaging method and resulting package



Aug. 23, 1960 w. H. WHEELER 2,949,710

GEL PACKAGING METHOD AND RESULTING PACKAGE Filed Sept. 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. /2

26' 30 INVENTOR.

WILLIAM H. WHEELER haw/8% my ATTORNEY.

GEL PACKAGING METHOD AND RESULTING PACKAGE William H. Wheeler, New York, N.Y., assignor to Airkem, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 16, 1958, Ser. No. 761,340 11 Claims. (CI. 53-21) This invention relates to the packaging of gel material which is particularly adapted for the packaging of volatilizable air treating gels, but is also suited for the packaging of any form retaining gel or jelly in containers having straight to slightly tapered side walls. More particularly, the invention relates to the method of packaging gel material and the resulting package wherein means is provided for venting a mass of gel which has set within the confines of a container so as to permit free withdrawal or removal of the gel mass from the container.

In the preparation of air treating gels and other products, including edible jellies, and the like wherein an essentially liquid medium is transformed into semi-solid and form retaining condition by the presence of a gelling agent, a most convenient way of packaging formed bodies of the gel composition is to pour the gel material while still liquid into the desired container, and permit the material to solidify within the confines of the container, taking on the intimate contour thereof. In so doing, however, the body of gel conforms so closely to the contour of the container that it becomes difiicult, if not impossible to remove the formed body of gel from the container unless the side walls are considerably tapered, or the width of the container andgel mass therein is relatively large as compared with the height thereof.

With some types of containers, such as tin cans, and the like, it is possible to facilitate removal of formed gel masses by rupturing the bottom of the container a1- lowing air to enter beneath the gel mass (or even blowing air against the gel mass) to thereby eject the gel mass. Frequently, such a step is undesirable, imprac tical, or even impossible in view of the nature of the container material. In any event, such rupturing of the container prevents its utilization thereafter as a container for other purposes.

The present invention is concerned with an improved method of packaging, and the resulting package wherein means is provided during solidification of a gel mass within the container to impart to the gel mass a venting means such that opening of the container and inversion thereof will at all times permit free discharge of the gel mass from the container. Regarded in certain of its broader aspects, the method in accordance with the present application comprises filling an essentially cylindrical container, or any container having an open end, a closed end, and straight to slightly tapered side walls, to a point slightly below the open end thereof with a gel material in liquid form, covering the container with closure means carrying a protruding element extending essentially to the closed end of the container substantially equidistant from the side walls thereof, inverting the assemblage, and retaining the assemblage in the inverted position until the gel material has solidified with said protruding element extending beyond the then upper surface thereof. The protruding element can be carried by the permanent cover of the package and remain as part of the package to be removed together with the cover in the opening of the package. Alternatively, the protruding element can be part of a temporary cover or closure means, and can be removed following solidification to permit permanent closure of the container by any conventional fiat cover means. The resulting package of solidified gel mass is thus provided with a passage centrally thereof communicating with an air space at the bottom of the package, said passage and air space together providing vent means, facilitating easy delivery of the gel mass formed in the container when the container is opened and inverted.

As a further adaptation of the invention the protruding element or stem part can be integral with a dispenser base which normally disposes the closed end of the container at the top of the assemblage, as for example, a dispenser base of the type disclosed in Dello Russo application Serial No. 633,449 filed January 10, 1957, now U. S. Patent No. 2,878,060. In this adaptation the elongated stem part is provided with a substantial taper narrowing toward the closed end of the container, so that as the container is raised-from the base with the gel adhering to the container, an air passage will form around the tapered stem and communicating with the air space adjacent the closed end of the container, permitting the gel to slide from the container.

The invention will be better understoodfrom a consideration of the accompanying drawing in which preferred adaptations of the invention have been shown with the parts thereof identified by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation view of an opened package in accordance with the present invention in an upright position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the container inverted, and indicating a gel mass sliding therefrom;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevation views illustrative of steps in one method of packaging in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation view of the resulting package as obtained by the steps shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 3 and 4 showing an alternate method of packaging;

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation view showing the package resulting from the method illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 3 and 4 showing a further adaptation of the invention wherein the closure means employed is integral with a diffuser base, and

Figs. 11 and 12 are views similar to Fig. 10 showing steps in the use of the assemblage.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the contamer 10 1s illustrative of essentially cylindrical to slightly frusto-con1- cal containers for packaging of air treating gel and other gel masses having an open end 11, a closed end 12, and straight to slightly tapering side walls 13. For purpose of illustration, the side walls 13 have been shown as slightly tapered, and a gel mass Within the container is supported by engagement with the side walls, slightly above the closed end 12, providing an air space 15 below the gel mass which communicates with an elongated central passage 16 extending through the gel mass.

When the container 10 is inverted as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, air entering through the passage 16 into the space 15 permits the gel mass 14 to slide freely from the container, enabling arrangement thereof in a suitable apparatus, service device, or the like, without handling. If the side walls 13 are straight side walls (as would be the case in a truly cylindrical container), the gel mass may not be discharged from the container quite as freely as when the side walls 13 are tapered, but the vent means provided by the passage 16 and air space 15, will nevertheless permit the gel mass, by its own weight when held inverted, to slide from the container.

In one adaptation of the invention, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the container 10 is filled with gel material in liquid form, and a cover 17 is applied to the container having protruding therefrom a central stem 18, which extends substantially to the closed end 12. It will be noted that filling with liquid gel material terminates so that the upper surface 19 is slightly below the upper edge 11 of the container. After afiixing of the cover, the ssemblage of the container 10 and cover 17 is inverted as shown in Fig. 4. The gel mass 14 settles into the bottom of the assemblage with the now upper surface 20 thereof being spaced from the closed end 12 of the container, providing the air space 15, previously described, into which the stem 18 protrudes.

After the gel mass 14 has set, the resulting package, upon inversion, assumes the appearance as shown in Fig. of the drawing, with the gel mass being in the upper portion of the container and against the cover 17 with the air space 15 at the bottom of the assemblage. When the cover 17 is removed, thereby withdrawing the stem 18, the package assumes the appearance of the Opened container as shown in Fig.1 of the drawing.

Since the filling and sealing of the package, as shown in Figs. 3 to 5, is efiected while the gel mass is hot, it will be apparent that upon cooling, there is certain condensation of vapors within the space 15, and this condensation, tending to produce a partial vacuum within the package, provides an exceptionally tight engagement between the cover 17 and container 10.

An alternative method of packaging, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 of the drawing, is essentially similar to that shown in Figs. 3 to 5, with the exception that the container 10, filled with liquid gel material 14 to an upper level 19, slightly below the upper edge 11 thereof, is closed with what might be termed a temporary closure means 21 having a protruding rod 22 similar to the rod or stem 18 extending substantially to the closed end 12. The assemblage of the container It! and temporary closure 21 with the stem 22 thereof is inverted as shown in Fig. 7 with the gel mass 14 settling to form an air space 15 in the upper portion of the assemblage. After the gel mass has solidified, the assemblage is again inverted to the position shown in Fig. 6, the temporary closure 21 and rod 22 thereof are withdrawn, and a permanent cover 23 is ap plied to the device, providing the finished package, appearing shown in Fig. 8 of the drawing. In this package, the space 15 adjacent the closed end 17- communicates with the passage 16 extending through the gel mass 14 so that the package, upon removal of the cover.

23, is the same as the device shown in Fig. l of the drawing.

The temporary closure means 21 can be of any desired material, and is suitably a material having slight compressibility to permit tight engagement with the upper edge 11 of the container to thereby prevent escape of gel material, while liquid, from the assemblage. In practice, the temporary closure member 21 can be of substantial size, having a plurality of protruding stems or rods 22 for simultaneous insertion into a plurality of filled containers 10. In this connection, it is within the scope of my invention that filled containers 10 be brought together automatically and continuously with the temporary closures 21 having protruding rods or stems 22, and supported in the inverted position as shown in Fig. 7 for a time sufiicient to permit setting of the gel therein, with the parts thereafter being re-inverted and separated to permit aflixing of the permanent closures 23. Also in this connection, it will be noted that afiixing of the permanent closures 23 can be effected in a reduced pressure environment to thereby derive the benefit of partial evacuation of the air space 15, as previously described in connection with Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawing.

Whereas in Figs. 3 to 8 the container 10 forms part of a package from which the gel material is intended to be discharged for use, a further adaptation of the invention involves an assemblage of the container 10 with a closure member which acts as a difiuser base for air treating gel. In Figs. 9 to 12, such an assemblage has been shown wherein the container 10 has substantially straight side walls 13 for sliding frictional engagement with circumferentially spaced spring fingers 24 of a diifuser base 25 which is of the type disclosedin Dello Russo applica tion Serial No. 633,449 filed January 19, 1957, and Dello Russo Design Patent No. 181,840 dated January 7, 1958. The dispenser basehas a bottom or end wall 26 and an essentially cylindrical side wall having elongated slots 27 dividing the same into the spring fingers 24, as will be been from a consideration of Fig. 10. The slots 27 and apertures 28 in the lower portions of the spring fingers provide openings for circulation of air and emission of vapors from air treating gel when the assemblage is set up for use as shown in Fig. 12.

The diffuser base 25 is provided with an elongated stem 29 which may be integral therewith or otherwise secured thereto to provide a centered orientation of the stem. The stem 29 is of substantially tapered and suitably conical form with the wide portion thereof adjacent the end 26 of the diffuser base, and having a length to dispose the narrow end in close proximity to the closed end 12 of the container 10 when the container and base are assembled. For purpose of illustration, the stem 29 has been shown as a hollow member having a peripheral flange 30 adhesively secured to the end wall 26 for positioning the stem 29 within the base 25.

In packaging of air treating gel a suitable quantity of gel 14 in the liquid state is poured into the container 19 so that attachment of the base 25 (and stem 2?) to close the container will leave a slight air space 31, as seen in Fig. 9, above the gel. The assemblage is inverted to the position as shown in Fig. 10, transferring the air space 31a to a position adjacent the closed end 12. of the container, in which position the gel 14 is allowed to set.

The resulting assemblage constitutes both shipping container and dispenser for air treating gel.

When it is desired to open the assemblage for use in the treatment of air, one merely raises the container 19 and adhering gel mass 14 as shown in Fig. 11, thereby separating the gel from the stem 29 forming an air passage 32 around or along the stem 29 and communieating with the air space 31a. As air is admitted to the air space 31a, the gel mass 14 slides from the container 10 until it is stopped by the end 26 of the diffuser base. The container 10, of course, remains suspended at the desired elevation by its engagement with the spring fingers 24, and evaporation of volatile components from the gel can proceed. For reclosing the assemblage while the gel is quite fresh, the assemblage may be inverted and the parts separated to again open the passage 32 along the stem 29, thus allowing air to escape from the air space 31a. It will be apparent, however, that as the gel is consumed, shrinkage takes place which will thereafter permit free raising and lowering of the container part 10 for periods of use and non-use of the assemblage in the treatment of air.

Various changes and modifications in the method of packaging gel materials, and resulting package, as herein described will occur to those skilled in the art, and to the extent that such changes and modifications are embraced by the appended claims, it is to be understood that they constitute part of my invention.

I claim:

1. The method of packaging gel material to facilitate free discharge of a gel mass from a container that comprises filling liquid gel material into a container having a closed end, and straight to slightly tapered side walls extending to an open end having the maximum internal dimensions of said container, to a level slightly below the open end of the container, assembling the container thus filled with a closure means having an integral elongated stem adapted to extend centrally of the container to a point adjacent the closed end thereof, inverting the assemblage to dispose the liquid gel material in engagement with said closure means, thereby providing adjacent the closed end of said container an air space into which said stem extends, and retaining the assemblage in this inverted position until the gel material has set to a form retaining condition.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said filled container is assembled with closure means forming a permanent closure for the container, and a completed package is obtained as soon as the gel material has set.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said filled container is assembled with a temporary closure means, and after setting of the gel material the assemblage is returned to its upright position, the closure means with integral stem is removed and a permanent closure is affixed to the container to provide a finished package.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the permanent closure is applied in an environment of reduced pressure adapted for partial evacuation of the air space formed in said gel material.

5. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the temporary closure means carries a plurality of protruding stems and is assembled simultaneously with a plurality of containers of liquid gel material.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the temporary closure means and containers of liquid gel material are brought together, inverted, and supported in the inverted position during setting of the gel material, in a continuous automatic operation.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the closure means is integral with a dispenser base normally disposing the closed end of the container as the top of the assemblage, and the elongated stem is provided with a substantial taper narrowing toward the closed end of said container, whereby lifting said container with respect to said base provides an air passage around said tapered stem communicating with the air space adjacent said closed end of the container permitting the gel to slide from said container.

8. A package of gel material prepared in accordance with the method as defined in claim 1.

9. A package of gel material prepared in accordance with the method as defined in claim 2.

10. A package of gel material prepared in accordance with the method as defined in claim 3.

11. A package of gel material prepared in accordance with the method as defined in claim 7.

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